Lembus
Lembus or Lembos (Greek Λέμβος ) is an ancient ship shape .
In ancient times, the Lemben were a different-purpose ship shape that was used both on inland waterways and at sea. There were both large and small boats ( lembulus ). They were used as warships, as trade ships or as transport ships, as required. Lemben's descriptions are so imprecise that to this day they cannot be assigned to any of the known ancient ship types. They were covered but uncovered and were rowed. Pliny thought they were a Cyrenean invention, while Philip V of Macedon believed they were of Illyrian origin.
The latter view is supported by the fact that the Illyrian king Agron as early as 231 BC. Chr. 100 Lemben successfully used as a troop transport for 50 soldiers each at the Akarnan Medion against the Aitolian League ; but above all that Lemben played an important role in the war between Rome and the Macedonian king Perseus . The Illyrian king of the Labeates Genthios , who wavered back and forth between Macedonia and Rome , initially provided Rome with 54 Lembes for the Roman fleet, but then went over to Perseus. The Roman praetor Lucius Anicius Gallus then attacked Genthios and defeated his Lemben fleet. Since he and Perseus lost the war, Genthios was banished to Iguvium and 80 of his Lembes were transported to Apollonia and Dyrrhachium as spoils of war . Later the Roman Senate donated 220 Lembes to the island of Kerkyra and the cities of Apollonia and Dyrrhachium.
literature
- Walter Hatto Gross : Lembus. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, column 553.
Individual evidence
- ^ Pliny, Naturalis historia 7, 208.
- ↑ Polybios 5, 109, 3.
- ↑ Polybios 2, 3, 2.
- ^ Titus Livius , from urbe condita 42, 8, 8.
- ↑ Titus Livius, from urbe condita 44, 30 ff. And 45, 43.
- ^ Titus Livius, ab urbe condita 45, 26, 15.